SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

If you travel overseas at all you might want to spend an extra $15 and get Global Entry. It doesn’t help in going through customs in the countries you visit but it can smooth re-entry when you get back home.

Jsykes

Only once had a problem, in Shanghai, where the young TSA guy was angry that the contents of the camera bag had not been emptied into one of the trays. Got close to a shouting match as a consequence of how he was man-handing the equipment. A single incident among multiple TSA checks in SE Asia, S. America, Europe (and the USA) where the camera back pack has never been opened and the contents checked.

Abo

Mate... grin and bear it.

I reckon it's best to be cooperative and make the security dudes job
as easy as you can.

When it's all said and done, they are working for your well being.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

And have the power to make it impossible to board your flight.

RonDavis Loc: Chicago, IL

Let’s not be too harsh on TSA Agents for doing their job. They are not there to make friends and take warm showers with you. They are there to (maybe) stop the suspicious malevolent strangers that will be sitting near or next to you.....they may have different motives or intentions other that travel. Thank goodness TSA is doing a job that’s been proven to be necessary and they deserve a little respect. Yes, I’ve also had recent unpleasant experiences of random, regular and extensive TSA searches, no a big deal…
BUT, (here’s a little humor) once many years ago, before returning from a wine filled adventure in Paris, I bought an expensive antique corkscrew as a souvenir of this memorable trip. I made the mistake of packing the corkscrew in my carry-on bag/camera case. At the airports security screening station, my fixed lens/film camera was briefly examined by the TSA agent with a scorned as if it was worthless pawned shop item. But, when the corkscrew was spotted, it was carefully examined and immediately confiscated with a few phrases muttered in French about something being a machete (huh), that’s a corkscrew…almost your national symbol! I was told (in English) I could pick it up at “security” at my final US destination----(really, where?). After this time consuming delay, I was allowed to board my “almost missed” flight headed for New York City. When the flight landed, I had to hustle through the always crowed airport to catch my connecting flight to Chicago, (my final destination)….Silly me at the time, I never got a receipt or ticket for the confiscated item. Thus, I never saw the corkscrew again. I should have packed the darn thing in my checked baggage……oh yeah, the wine was great!

btbg

You are right it is not unique, but it is very disruptive, particularly when they break a lens. Five years ago they broke a 24-70 f2.8 lens of mine. Did not discover it was broken until I arrived at my destination. When I tried to address the situation they refused to compensate me because I had not immediately complained. But, I did not immediately know it was broken as they told me hands off while they were searching. I knew they dropped it, but I did not know that it no longer focused. Since their search made it rushed to make my flight I did not check it at the time. That's my bad, but it is very frustrating.

As to making it easy for them to search that is easier said than done given that some of us have a lot of camera gear and they will remove all of it from the bag to search for contraband underneath it. That leaves all of the gear vulnerable should they knock it off their table, which does happen. There is no good way to protect your gear. It is just a risk that you have to accept when traveling by air.

Dean Sturgis

My wife & I got Global entry that includes YSA pre check. On last trip coming from Dallas Fort Worth she did not get TSA precheck although on other legs of the trip we did all the tickets were purchased at the same time.
I had TSA precheck so I did not have to open my bag, but I had to take every thing out of my pockets including papers & wallet that had no metal. Because of TSA precheck they had no bins to put things in, I had to put the items in the one available bowl the size of a dog food bowl. I the process I lost my boarding pass, I found items in a pocket that still set the metal detector off the clips on a few pens. By than I had to wait for a pat down.
In the process I lost my boarding pass for my next flight and possibly a 50 peso note.

btbg

It would definitely help, but a lot of us live near regional airports that are not cleared to do pre-check. Have to have access to a major airport to do that.

btbg

Guess you aren't going to Hawaii or parts of Alaska then are you. There are some places you just can't drive to.

PaulineS Loc: Surprise, AZ

This was a reply to another post. Sorry it ended up here.

Ed Chu Loc: Las Vegas NV

Whenever human judgemenr is involved you will gat different opinions. Ever watch the officiating in an NFL game? Why sre you encouraged to get a second opinion on a doctor's advice? Etc., etc.....

Mustanger Loc: Grants Pass, Oregon USA

I am of the same idea!

cwp3420

Back in 2009, we had traveled to Vermont to attend my youngest daughter’s graduation from college. I had my Nikon D700 in a Pelican case with all of my lenses, and had 2 locks on the case. I hadn’t had any trouble until we were flying home, and we had a layover in Washington D.C. When we went to board our Southwest flight back home, we went to the gate early, as seats weren’t assigned, and there were 5 of us. Just before boarding, I saw some TSA agents coming with a collapsible table, and they stopped at our gate. I jokingly told my wife they were going to do a random check of passengers. Since I had retired from DHS in 2006, I didn’t foresee a problem, but I told my wife I thought they were “looking for terrorists”, and that I figured that would be me.

Sure enough, just as the plane started boarding, they came and got me out of line to be searched. I told my wife to save me a seat and followed them to their table. An officer asked me why I thought I needed two locks on my Pelican case, and I said that I had about $6,000 in equipment in there and wanted to keep it safe. She asked me to unlock it, so I did, and for a moment she stood there just looking in my case as if she was confused. After a moment, she asked me to take the D700 out, so I did so. She took it from me and really looked it over, and then asked me to “prove” it was a real camera. I asked her if she thought it might not be areal camera, and she said they were taking no chances. She then asked me to prove it worked, so I powered it on and showed her the LCD screen. She still wasn’t convinced, so I asked her if she wanted me to take a picture of something in the airport. She got highly offended, and said taking pictures in the airport was a federal violation, and that I should show her some other way to prove it was really a camera. I smiled at her and asked her how I could prove it was a real camera that takes real pictures without actually taking a picture. She looked stymied for a moment, and noticing she had attracted not only her fellow employees, but a fairly large crowd, she brusquely told me to lock up the case and get on the plane. I never have figured out if she knew what she was doing or not.

Ghery Loc: Olympia, WA

She was, as is typical of a TSA MacDonald's reject, full of it. There is no federal rule against taking a picture at an airport. There might be a rule against taking a picture of their "security" setup, but of the airport in general? No way! I'm glad she released you in time to catch your flight.

Hip Coyote

Shanghai does not have TSA agents so far as I know. They’re Chinese. And, having been there, I can attest to a lack of discretion of the workers.